Good Healthcare Requires Treatment of Your Mind, Body, and Soul

Plant-Based Food Allergies

5 December 2018 by Hugh Larson

Many allergy sufferers have unsavory reactions to a wide variety of allergens, including dust, dander, and pollen. Some reactions may also surface as an allergen is placed in the mouth.

In some instances, people who suffer from certain types of allergies are more susceptible to oral allergens. If you suffer from a seasonal allergy, you may also have oral allergies. Thus, you may find that your throat or mouth starts to swell or itch soon after you ingest a raw nut, fruit, or vegetable. Here is a bit of information about reactions to plant-based allergens and why they occur.

Plant-Based Food Allergies

The proteins that are found in edible plants are sometimes almost the same as those that are present in pollen. As a result, you may have an immune response that causes an oral allergy as you eat a plant-based food. 

Your symptoms may include swelling of the oral cavity, lips, face, throat, and tongue. Additionally, you may experience intense itching. Still, although there is some risk, most oral allergies do not cause swelling that is severe enough to block your airway.

Why Plant-Based Allergies Are Caused by Raw Foods

The protein-based allergens in plants, such as ragweed and mugwort, are so similar to those in many fruits and vegetables. However, the body only initiates an immune response when the proteins are in a whole state. Many of the allergens that cause plant-based food allergies degrade in the presence of heat or acid. Thus, even though a raw version of an edible plant may cause an allergic response, you may have no symptoms when eating a processed or cooked form of the same plant-based food. 

Treating a Plant-Based Food Allergy

Once an allergy to a plant-based food has been identified, your doctor may ask you to avoid eating the food in its raw state. The physician may also caution that eating the food during periods when your seasonal allergies flare up can be particularly detrimental.

Still, raw fruits and vegetables offer many valuable nutrients that can be important to your overall health. Thus, some allergy specialists may not fully restrict the foods. Instead, they may offer limitations and prescribe allergy shots to treat an oral allergy. The shots can lessen your body's allergic reaction to the plant-based foods.

If you have noticed an allergic reaction when eating certain raw fruits and vegetables, contact the office of an allergy specialist in your local area to schedule an appointment. For more information, contact a company like Dino Peds today.

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